Milking machine



&\ x

June 4, 1929. w SHIPPERT 1,715,720

MILKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a INVENTOR WASH/W521 m Y e ATTORNEYS June 4, 1929. w, sHlPPERT 1,715,720

MILKING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WA. SH/PPmT BY W14. F60

ATTORNEYS Patented June 4, 1929.

WARREN AQUILA SHIPPERT, OF DIXON, ILLINOIS.

MILKING MACHINE.

Application filed June 29, 1925. Seria1No. 40,391.

My invention relates to improvements in milking machines, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed. 7

The difficulties in operation of most pulsa tors in milking machines on the market today is that they are actuated by changeable or varying air pressure, this pressure at first being admitted to one end of the piston and then to the other end for causing the piston to reciprocate. The least corrosion of the parts or the accumulation of oil and dirt on these parts will slow down the pulsations of the piston or stop them entirely. If the piston should be stopped with full suction on it would injure the cow by causing an arrest of blood circulation, and the upsetting of the cows nervous system, thus causing a stoppage of the milk secretion and an ultimately cakcd udder. In addition most pulsators have a seat for the plunger to strike against and this constant striking causes a clinking sound which often annoys nervous cows. I

The principal object of the invention is to provide a pulsator which has automatic means for relieving the vacuum and for admitting air under atmospheric pressure to the cows udder, thereby simulating calf milking.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a milking machine of the character described in which the moving parts of the pulsator are noiseless in operation.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the pulsator connected to the other parts of the milking machine,

Figure 2 is a detail view of a portion of the device, p v

Figure 3 is a sectionalview of the pump, and

Figure 4 is a, sectional view of the pulsator.

In carrying out my invention I provide a milking machine which in the present instance is adapted to be supported by a port able frame 1. The frame is mounted upon wheels 2 and is adapted to be moved from place to place by means of a handle 3.

The frame 1 carries an enginet, a reduction gear mechanism 5, and a milk can 6. o It will be noted from Figure 1 that the cover for the milk can is made of a casting and carries a pump 7, a vacuum gauge 8, arms 9 and 10 and a pulsator 11. The portion '1" ofthe frame 1 is pivotally secured'to the arm 10 at 12, whereby the cover 13 is adapted to be swung away from the top of the can 6. The other arm 9 is pivotally secured to the portion 1 of the frame 1 by means of a link 14 and a locking lever 15. From this construction it will be noted that when the lever 15 is swung in the direction of the arrow it will pivot about the point 16 so as to raise the cover 13 off from thecan 6. The lever 15 when in the full line positionis disposed offcenter and therefore locks the cover 13 to the can 6.

I will first describe the connection between the motor 4 and the pump 7. In the present form of the device, this comprises a belt 17 that connects a fly wheel 18 to a pulley 19. The pulley 19v is mounted upon a shaft 20 and is adapted to beoperatively connected thereto by means of a clutch 21. The clutch 21 is moved into and out of engagement by a handle 22 and connecting links 23." p A worm 24 is mounted upon the shaft 20 and meshes with a worm gear. 25. These two gears constitute the reducing gear mechanism 5. In the present form of the device I have shown the worm gear as being a forty to one ratio.

The worm gear 25 is operatively connected to a lever 26 by means of a link 27 and an arm 28. The lever 26 is composed of a socket 29 inwhich an arm 30 is clamped. The arm 30 is connected to the link 27 in the present case,- but if desired this arm could be disconnected from the linkso as to providea handle by means of which the machine could be manually operated. I i

The socket 29 in turn is connected to the casing 31 of the pump 7. Figure 3 clearly shows how the piston 32 within thecasing 31 remains stationary andfurther shows how the piston is mounted upon a hollow rod 33, this rod in turn being-screwed into the cover 13. l The top of the casing 31 carries a spring pressed ball valve that closes when the easing is being moved upwardly and opens when the casingvis being moved downwardly. A

flap valve 35 is mounted upon the top o f the piston 32 and closes when the casing 31 is on its down stroke, thus cutting ofli' any flow of air through the rod 33. but which opens when the casing is on its up stroke. From this construction it will be apparent that when the casing is reciprocated by the motor 4, the air will gradually be exhausted from the milk can (5, thus creating -a vacuum in the can. The vacuum gauge 8 indicates the extent of the vacuum within the can. A vacuum brelease valve is shown in Figure 4:.

I make use of the vacuum in thee-an lor drawing milk from the cows and for conveying this nii'lkto the can. The means for causing a pulsating action on the cows is shown in Figure 4. Iwill first describehow the'pulsatoris coimectedto'the other moving parts oithemachine'before setting forthzthe special construction of the pulsator. The pulsator comprises a tube 36 in which a rod 37 is slid-ably disposed. The tube extends through the cover 13 and isc lamped in place bymeans of a castingBS and clamping members39. The clamping members39 form a part otthe cover 13. The casting 38 has lugs 14.0 which may be swung beneaththe clamping members 39 so as to hold-the tube in place andwhich also'maybe removed from the clamping lmenibers so asto permitthe tube to be removed 'from'the'cover 1'3.

The top of'therod SThas a groove lltherein. The groove 41 is adapted to receive the free end off an arm42. A set screw 43 (see Figure 2) secures'the arm to the'rod 37. In order.tohave'the force of the arm 42 applied in the direction of the longitudinalaxis of therod'ili', 'I connectithe arm 42 to a yoke it that is slidably mounted upon a guide pin The guide pin 45 iscarriedby the cover '13 and "is disposed directly in back'ot the tube The yoke sliis pivotally secured to the lever26 so as to'be'moved when the'lever is moved. "It willberseen from this construction that whenthedever 26 is actuated it will move the arm in a planeparallel with :the longitudinalaxis of the rod 37. 111 this way lateral strain uponthe rod is eliminated.

It should be noted atthis poiutthat the reason for connecting the arm 42 to the rod '37by the set screw 43 is to permitithe rod to beremo'ved fromthe'tube for cleaning. This isa vital feature of=t11e device since the pulsator is the heart otthe machine and should therefore operate e'l'liciently at all'times.

Asheretot'ore stated, a vacuum'iscreated within the cane audit is the duty of .the'rod 37*to intermittently place the teat cups loin conuminication with the interior otlthe can 6 and then in conununication with the atm'osphere, whereby 'apulsating action is created inthe teat-cups. Flhei'od 37 is moved up and down within the 'tube 36 and when in the position shown in Figure 4-, it uncovers openings i? .in the .tube. The openings 47 communicate with flexible pipes 48"tl1at in turn are attached to the teat cups 46. As

the can 6 will draw the milk from the cow and will conveyitthroughthe pipes l8 to the can. A soon as the rod 37 moves downwardly into its lowermost position, it will cut-ell the "vacuum between the can and the teat cups, and will place the teat cups in 'Ctilllll'lllllll'ilhiOl] with the atmosphere. This causes or produces a pulsating action which sin iulatescalf unilking.

From Figure 4 it will be noted that the lmverend ofthe plunger or rod 37 carries a tlnieaded shank iSupon which is mounteda valve 50n1ade of a re'silientfsubstance, such as leather. The valve is held in "place by means otlock'nuts 51 andthese locknuts'are also adapted to compress the'vzilve for taking up near. Directly above the valve 50 the plunger 3'i isrprovided with an annular portion 52' and this annular portion communicateswith alongitudinzil.groove 53"that extends alougthe outer surface ot the plunger 37 to a "point above the'top of the tube '36. In "this way a direct air communication is provided from a point external of the machineto within the interior of the tube 236. l l hen the plunger 37is on its down-stroke, the groove 52 communicates with pipes 48, thus admitting air under atmospheric pressure tothe cows udder, while'the valve 50 cuts off the vacuum to the udder. In this way the teat cups are placed "under atmospheric pressure. I

From the foregoing descriptionof-the various parts ot th'edevice,=the'operation ofthe device isreadily understood. The machine in use isfirst wheeled 'to the desiredposition andthen'the teat cups 46 are securedto'the cow. The tubeS'Stin-the prese'nlninstancehas two flexible pipes lS 'con'nnunicating therewitlnjthus permitting-two cowsxto be milked at the same time. it isobvious that this number [may be increased it desired. The engine is firststarted zand-thenthe pump is connected tothe motorl'by' means of]? the clutch 21. Themovement ot thepu'mp will-create a vacuum within the can as heretofore described. Wliile the pump is being actuated, the puls'ator will also be actuated so as to milkthe cows. The milk is conveyed into' the can where it"istemporarilystored. AS'Ehereto tore stated, the .pulsator first connects the teat cups to the can so as to place a vacuum 011 thecups, andthen placesthecups in communication with. the atmosphere.

' "lzhe 'pulsator can be disassembled and readilycleaned by merely disconnecting the arm 42 from the plunger 37 as=heretotore described. At this time the nuts 51 1nay be tightened so as to expand the valve-50 to take up wear. Alterthe canhas been filledwith milk thecover 13 may be removed and 'an emptl y can substituted for the filled can. The cover is provided *witha rubber gasket that is adapted to hermetically seal the can when the cover is clamped down into position.

The valve 50 is long enough to completely close the openings 47 as the plunger moves between its limits. If this were not so, the

air would rush past the valve 50 when the valve was in registration with the openings a7, and relieve the vacuum within the tank which would defeat the purpose of the invention.

I claim:

1. A pulsatorcomprising a tubular member having a milk conduit, a plunger slidably disposed within the tubular member and being provided with an annular groove, said plunger having a longitudinal groove communicating with free air and said annular groove, elongated sealing means secured to said plunger adjacent said annular groove, means for con'ipressing and expanding said elongated sealing means,.and means for positively reciprocating the plunger for bringing said annular-groove in communlcatlon wlth said milk conduit.

2. A pulsator for a milking machine using vacuum suction and free air in the operation of milking, said pulsator comprising a tubular member having a milk conduit and one end in communication With said vacuum, a plunger having an annular groove and being slidably disposed within said tubular memher, said plunger being provided with a longitudinal groove communicating with :t'ree air and said annular groove, elongated sealing means carried by the plunger, and means for positively reciprocating the plunger for bringing said milk conduit into communication with the vacuum and for bringing said annular groove into communication With said milk conduit, thereby permitting free air to pass into the milk conduit.

lVARREN AQUILA SHIPPERT. 

